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Board of Directors

Jim MeekisonChairman of the BoardJim Meekison is currently Chairman and CEO of Trimin Capital Corp., a Canadian private equity company. Jim’s career has spanned over 40 years in the investment banking, cable television and private equity industries. He has served as a Director of Nesbitt Thomson Limited, Chairman of Cablecasting Limited, a Canadian cable television company, which he co-founded in 1969, and Chairman and Director of several companies in which he indirectly invested in his career in private equity. He also served as a Director of First Marathon Inc. from 1984 until it was sold in 1999. Jim holds an MBA degree from Harvard University and B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of British Columbia. He is a member of the board of Directors of GMP Capital Trust and Pathways to Education Canada.

John SimmonsDirector

John Simmons began his career in 1976 by joining multi-national Deere & Company. In 1983 Mr. Simmons began a lifelong pursuit of entrepreneurial activities by founding (or co-founding) three companies in succession - Contour Window Fashions Ltd., InsulPro Industries Inc. and Integrated Paving Concepts Inc. - each of which grew from startup to become TSX listed. In 1998, Mr. Simmons briefly stepped away from operating management and founded JC Simmons & Associates, Inc., which participated, directly or indirectly, in the early stage financing of several companies including Aspreva Pharmaceuticals, Protox Therapeutics (now Sophiris Bio) and Contigo Systems. In 2000 Mr. Simmons was appointed CEO of TSX listed Bridges Transitions Inc. a position he held until its sale in 2006. Following this assignment Mr. Simmons returned to Integrated Paving Concepts Inc. as its CEO and led it to a successful restructuring and turnaround. Between 2011 and 2013 Integrated Paving spun out and divested two of the company’s brands and businesses which were followed by a concluding sale in 2013. In 2008 Mr. Simmons acquired Boulevard Magazine. This company was sold to Black Press Group in 2013.

Mr. Simmons graduated from the University Of Western Ontario School Of Business (now Ivey School of Business) in 1976.

Sara Elford

Director

Sara Elford worked in the capital markets industry for more than twenty years, beginning her career in investment banking in New York in 1994. She became a sell-side equity research analyst in Canada in 1996 and continued in this capacity until July 2015 when she decided it was time for something new. Over the course of her analyst career, Sara followed a broad range of industries and business models, with specific, but not exclusive, focus on emerging companies, technologies and/or sectors. According to Starmine, she was named in the top two for stock picking in her sector six times since 2003, and in 2005 was named the top stock picker in Canada across all sectors and analysts. Sara has been a CFA Charterholder since 1997 and completed the academic requirements for the directors’ education program with the ICD in 2015. She is currently a member of the FTSE Environmental Markets Committee and has recently started her own consulting and advisory practice, while also remaining focused on finding and investing in great companies.

Terry HollandDirector

Terry Holland has been involved in the Canadian private equity market for over 25 years. A commerce graduate of the University of British Columbia, Terry earned his CA designation in 1981 and was awarded the FCA designation in 2009. After a few years in public practice, Terry left to join a real estate development company as VP of finance. He later moved to the Equity Group of Companies, serving as VP of finance there as well. In 1990, Terry joined Trimin Enterprises Inc., a private equity firm, as President. Over the next 14 years Terry would play a lead role in Trimin Enterprises’ (and later Trimin Capital Corp.’s) success as a growth partner for mid-sized businesses. Both Trimin Enterprises and Trimin Capital Corp. experienced investment returns that rank highly in comparison to other funds in their category during their years of operation. Terry left Trimin Capital in 2004, when he launched Krystal Financial Corp., and currently serves as Krystal’s president and CEO. Through Krystal, Terry has investments in eight private companies, all of them based in B.C., and two public companies, Amica Mature Lifestyles Inc. and Hardwoods Distribution Inc.